AK Durable Supply Co. Surf Foil Large 1600cm 2021
Reviews / Hydrofoils
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At A Glance
AK Durable Supply Co. have built a super cool brand that creates innovative and functional products in a short space of time. The AK Surf Foil 1600 is one of them. At 1600cm2, it’s designed for heavier riders in prone foiling or for light winds and early planing in wing and kite foiling. It has a medium aspect ratio wing; AK aim to provide the ideal balance between manoeuvrability, speed and pumping.
Getting this foil out of the box and putting it together, it was immediately apparent that it is a well-designed product. Everything feels very smooth and streamlined, with all screws sitting incredibly flush. This will lead to a very efficient foil when in the water. Something that caught my attention is the adjustable rear wing.
You might have heard of ‘shims’ for your rear wing that allow you to adjust the angle of attack and therefore increase or decrease lift vs speed. This foil has it built-in; simply loosening the screws and sliding the wing forwards to backwards immediately adjusts the trim of the wing. A clever design that saves time and could even be done on the water if you carry a tool in your wetsuit like some. If, like me, you geek out on adjusting and tweaking to find the best feel, then this is a real bonus.
While rigging, the mast plate has a feature that is becoming the standard across foils. Rather than four holes to connect into your US box system, it has those same four holes but with ‘slider gaps’ to allow a much faster set-up. I’m a massive fan of this and hope that it becomes the standard right across the brands. It saves a considerable amount of time on the beach.
On The Water
For me, this foil was all about maximising fun in light wind sessions. It got me foiling quickly in lulls and was a joy to carve around. I found it glided well through tacks and gybes and enjoyed pumping it on small bumps.
In the waves, it was the closest I’ve felt to being a true surfer with a wing in my hand. Once gliding on the wave, I was able to ‘freefly’ the wing and carve up and down the face. Such a good feeling and the AK Surf Foil 1600 was the perfect choice to do it in the small to medium-sized waves I was riding.
The aluminium mast and fuselage meant that the foil felt solid and robust when I was throwing it around trying airs or getting beaten up by waves. Of course, this set-up is a little heavier than a carbon one; however, you do make a considerable saving when you compare it to the price of full carbon foil!
I loved the Innovative trimmable rear wing, perfect for a tuning geek like me and great for riders who want to learn a little more and understand how their gear works. The front wing is a very well-designed medium aspect ratio, aerodynamic design, which packs a bunch of performance, especially in lighter winds. The icing on the cake was the quick fitting mast plate; we’re looking forward to a time when this becomes standard…
Overall
For the right person, this foil can be a wingfoil machine that doubles up as the perfect prone surf foil. A massive bonus to have one foil that does all. For lighter riders, it will be a light wind weapon, and for heavier riders, it will just do everything and do it well. The medium aspect ratio means it finds an outstanding balance between turning and gliding.
Combine all of the above with the fact that it has a high-quality finish, and the AK Surf Foil 1600 should be at the top of your wish list.
This review was in Issue 8 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit AK Durable Supply Co.Related
By Jack Galloway
